CRAM expresses concern
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 24 2016 : Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRAM) has expressed concern over the breach of the right canal of Khuga dam on June 18 at Moulbem village, Churachandpur district and subsequent submergence of several homestead and agriculture land.

In a statement, CRAM said that the breach at Moulbem village have submerged cornfield, granaries, piggery stays, fish farm, along with plant saplings, covering an area of about 1.5 hectares.

Affected villagers have repeatedly asserted that the quality of the Khuga dam canals are sub-standard and there has been frequent breach of canals in 2009, 2015 and 2016, causing hardships to the villagers from destruction of property and flood.

Gripped by fear psychosis of further canal breach, many villagers have shifted their home looking for safety.

The Khuga Multipurpose Hydroelectric project commissioned in 2011 and constructed at a cost of 2.5 billion rupees to generate hydro-electricity and to provide irrigation and drinking water, has failed to serve its purposes and remained marred with repeated failures of its key components.

Irrigation canals, one of the key objectives of Khuga Dam constructed at huge public expense has failed to function, rendering the Khuga dam irrational and impractical.

Instead of providing regular water and to promote food sovereignty for the villagers in Churachandpur, the Khuga dam canals have destroyed their land, it said.

As the Khuga dam also failed to generate a single unit of electricity, as per its defined objectives, the dam is already proven to be another failed dam of Manipur.

The State continues to remain unaccountable for the lack of quality, substandard construction of canals and the failure to serve the actual purpose of the canals, including provision of irrigation water and generation of power.

Under such circumstances where the Khuga dam has failed to provide power generation and water for irrigation, but rather caused destruction to land and survival sources of villagers in Churachandpur, it said while urging the Government of Manipur to conduct a detailed investigation and review of the functioning of Khuga dam and the causes of repeated breach and failures of the Irrigation canals.

An introspection to the minimal and negligible benefits from Khuga dam as compared to the substantial loss of land, forest areas and other survival sources of communities coupled with non-functioning of key objectives of Khuga dam need be reviewed.

The Government should also initiate steps to prevent causing further hardship on villagers affected by Khuga dam and also to take steps to preventing initiations of such large scale projects that failed to function.

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